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The New Year is a great time not only for personal resolutions, but also for social and institutional ones. Right around now we typically see renewed energy for the pressing social and environmental problems of our day, and that is a great thing. With this increased energy I have also witnessed an amplified focus on new incubators, launch pads, idea fests, hubs, and institutes. These are all worthy endeavors, but I issue a word of caution: More resources and talent focused only on the “the idea generation stage” of social innovation unfortunately is not enough. Real change comes from making the slow and monumental climb up the social innovation hill.

After three days at this week's Big Ideas Fest in Half Moon Bay, California, I'm more convinced than ever that change is on the horizon for U.S. education. This was the 2nd annual Big Ideas Fest, and it was organized by the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME), a California nonprofit.

Thirteen members of Stanford GSB’s Energy Club traveled to Boston to visit an array of energy focused companies over the school’s Thanksgiving holiday break. The trip is part of an Energy Club initiative to increase the number of treks and company visits it offers and also provide an opportunity for participants to interact with east coast contemporaries at MIT and Harvard while getting outside of the “Silicon Valley bubble.”

The winter holidays are not only an occasion for spending time with
friends and family, they can also be a great time to make a difference.
Fundraising success in the holidays translates directly into helping
solve the social problems we all care about — feeding the homeless,
helping disadvantaged youth get a good education, saving the Amazon, or
restoring the local watershed. Without a doubt, it’s an important time
to give — and give generously.

Public demands for more socially- and environmentally-conscious products have made corporate social repsonsibility (CSR) a top priority for many companies. But forward-thinking companies are doing more than just adding "green" products to their mix or giving money to charity. They're integrating social, environmental and economic value into their operations and throughout their extended supply chains.

Public demands for more socially- and environmentally-conscious products have made corporate social repsonsibility (CSR) a top priority for many companies. But forward-thinking companies are doing more than just adding "green" products to their mix or giving money to charity. They're integrating social, environmental and economic value into their operations and throughout their extended supply chains.

Public demands for more socially- and environmentally-conscious products have made corporate social repsonsibility (CSR) a top priority for many companies. But forward-thinking companies are doing more than just adding "green" products to their mix or giving money to charity. They're integrating social, environmental and economic value into their operations and throughout their extended supply chains.

Public demands for more socially- and environmentally-conscious products have made corporate social responsibility (CSR) a top priority for many companies. But forward-thinking companies are doing more than just adding "green" products to their mix or giving money to charity. They're integrating social, environmental and economic value into their operations and throughout their extended supply chains.

Using stories to raise awareness and inspire action seems to be all the rage. The New York Times bestselling book Made to Stick,
by Stanford GSB professor Chip Heath and his brother Dan, has been at
the forefront of uncovering and advocating the use of stories to get an
audience to remember your ideas, programs, or products. And now
presentations from the likes of TED, PopTech,
and almost every cause, nonprofit presentation, and brochure I can
remember in the past few years is all about stories, stories, stories
...